medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: "Ms Brenda M. Cook" <[log in to unmask]>
>> fwIw, this figure from the West portal of the North transept of Chartres is
often referred to as a "basilisk" by art hysterians, i know not on what basis
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/Wave/image/memoire/0168/sap01_lp003656_p.jpg
> Hmmmm The human character gripping the winged serpent's head is very
carefully avoiding eye-contact with it.
well, we must be careful not to "over read" here --"over reading" can lead one
to see all sorts of things which might or might not be there, like whole Seas
of Glass where there are only a few modest Clouds.
in this instance, its pretty hard to establish eye contact with a beast which
is whispering in your ear.
i should know what the iconography here is but don't.
the figure is beneath one of the column figures from the portal done by the
"Master of the Kings' Heads", far and away the most interesting both
iconographically and stylistically of any of the transept portals at Chartres.
(see Wilhelm Voge's magnificent essay in Robert Branner's collection,
_Chartres Cathedral_)
while we're on Exotic Beasts, there's this curious figure, barely surviving on
the early 12th c. facade of the church of St. Mary M. in Chateaudun:
http://christophersbookroom.com/cc/chateaudun/griffin.jpg
(pay no attention to that "griffin" nomenclature --the guy who did that knows
not one beastie from another.)
the bottom half of the figure has the same long, serpentine tail as the
Chartres figure does, and one can just *barely* make out the remains of a
vestigial wing on its back
http://christophersbookroom.com/cc/chateaudun/griffinwing.jpg
but the top half of the thing almost looks like the beginnings of a human
torso, the junction between the two parts being articulated by a sort of roll
of fat (or something)
http://christophersbookroom.com/cc/chateaudun/griffin-joint.jpg
there seem to be three (or four?) "paws" below the creature
http://christophersbookroom.com/cc/chateaudun/griffinpaws.jpg
which i read thusly
http://christophersbookroom.com/cc/chateaudun/griffin-joint-d.jpg
"I-J-K-L" and "b" outline the joint between the two parts, the human torso(?)
being above "b".
any alternate readings (or even "over readings") would be welcome.
this figure is nearly all that is left to us of what was originally a rather
extensive and very unusual program of figures spread out all over the facade
of the church
http://christophersbookroom.com/cc/chateaudun/north-facade.jpg
http://christophersbookroom.com/cc/chateaudun/baratte1.gif
http://christophersbookroom.com/cc/chateaudun/baratte2.gif
best from here,
christopher
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